In a lot of cases, you cannot ride a snowmobile on the road because they aren’t street legal, technically. But this always isn’t the case. In some areas of the world, it is legal to ride on the shoulder of the road to get to an authorized trail, or get gas. But even though it is legal to drive on the shoulder, driving on bare pavement with no snow can potentially damage your snowmobile.
Is It Illegal to Ride a Snowmobile on the Road?
The short answer is, it really depends on what state your in. I would check with local laws in your area to see what the requirements are to operate a snowmobile on the road, if it actually is legal. Every state is different. When in doubt, call your local law enforcement.
You Run the Risk of Damaging Your Sled
There are many different ways you could potentially damage your sled by riding on the pavement. Always keep these things in mind when you need to take a long tour on the bare road.
First things first, you could ruin your carbides. What are the carbides you might ask? The carbides are the sharp, angled surfaces on the bottom of the skis to basically help you steer better. A good way to help explain them is they are basically ice skates. They help maneuver your sled in the toughest of snowy and icy conditions.
You don’t want to ruin those, even though they more than likely need to be replaced every couple of years or so just from regular wear and tear. But they are expensive to replace.
Next, is running the risk of overheating your engine. Snowmobiles are built to be ridden in the coldest and snowiest of conditions. Your engine needs to have that snow kicking back at it so it can maintain a good temperature.
Riding on the pavement can also affect the hyfax on the sled and cause the track to have little to no lubrication.
Why Would You Need to Ride Your Snowmobile on The Road?
There are a few reasons why you would need to ride your sled on the road or the shoulder of the road.
To get gas.
Not everyone takes a gas tank to the gas station in there car, fills up the tank, and then heads back home to fill up their snowmobile. A lot of people just ride their machine to the gas station and fill it up there. More than likely, your going to need to go on a road or cross a road to get there.
To get to the trail.
There are a lot of main trail systems in many different states. Chances are, you don’t have the main trail system right in your back yard, so you have to get there somehow. Take the road.
